Before I could stop myself, I let my tongue slip out and lick my lips. Grant’s gaze dropped. My heart thundered. I wondered if Grant could hear it. I wanted him to kiss me so badly. I tried to summon the courage to close the distance between us, but the oven timer rang, ruining the moment.
Grant stepped to the side so he wasn’t blocking my path to the stove. “You should check on that.”
I was frozen in place for a moment before remembering how to move. “Right. Yeah. I wouldn’t want it to burn.”
“No, definitely not.”
I rushed to the stove, opened it, and looked inside. The lasagna was bubbling, but the cheese hadn’t started to brown. I figured it needed at least five more minutes. After resetting the timer, I turned around. Grant had just pulled a bottle of surface cleaner from a closet along with a roll of paper towels. I held out my hand. “Give me some, and I’ll help.”
He handed me a few paper towels, then sprayed cleaner on each of the footprints. I knelt down and started scrubbing. A few seconds later, I realized Grant was just standing there.
“Fuck.” His voice was low and rough.
I looked over my shoulder. He was standing right behind me, and I was on all fours, rocking back and forth as I wiped the floor. Did he think I’d positioned myself that way on purpose?
I hadn’t, though maybe subconsciously I wanted him to see me like this, on my knees, where he could just sink to the floor, pull down my pants, and…
My gaze slid down his body, stopping when I saw his cock straining against his jeans. What would happen if I crawled over to him and unbuttoned his pants? My mouth watered at the thought of him offering his cock to me.
“Jacob.”
I started at the sharp sound of his voice. “Y-yes?”
“Go. Check. The. Lasagna. Again.”
His hands were fisted at his sides, and he held himself rigid. Did he know how much I still wanted him? I wished I had the nerve to ask for what I desired, but instead, I left the paper towels on the floor, rose, and walked to the stove, having to concentrate on putting one foot in front of the other.
The lasagna needed a few more minutes, but I stayed by the stove, not daring to look at Grant while he finished cleaning. I didn’t need to turn around to know he was there; I felt his presence. The whole room seemed filled with it.
As I was taking the lasagna out of the oven, Rhys and Rogue came rushing into the kitchen, ruining the work we’d just done on the floor. It was startling to see them together. They really did look exactly alike, except Rogue’s hair was a little longer and he had a scar on his forehead.
“We’ve got some bad news,” Rhys said.
Grant stiffened and faced his brother. “Shit. What’s wrong?”
“Colton spotted somebody out near the western fence line, and Madison said there’s been a guy that fits the same description asking about us in town.”
Grant blew out a long breath. “Let’s go to my office for this.”
“I’m not going unless I can take some of that.” Rhys pointed at the lasagna. “I’m starving.”
“Damn right,” Rogue agreed. “It smells amazing, and I already know Jacob is an awesome cook.”
“Fine. None of us are going to be any good at thinking if we don’t eat, and it does look incredible.” He held my gaze as he said the words, and I wished he wasn’t talking about food.
Grant put plates on the counter, and Rhys got beers from the fridge. They all dished up huge servings of lasagna for themselves.
Rhys took a big bite before he picked up his plate. “Oh my God, this is like heaven.”
“Fuck yeah,” Rogue mumbled around a bite of his own. “Grant, you’ve got to taste it.”
Grant looked exasperated with them. He clearly wanted more details about what they’d learned, but he grabbed a fork and stabbed it into his piece.
I should probably be more concerned about what was happening on the ranch, but at that moment, all I cared about was Grant’s reaction to my cooking.
I watched his lips press against his fork and draw the pasta into his mouth. His eyes closed, and he groaned as he chewed. I felt the sound like an intimate touch.
After he swallowed, he met my gaze, and I lost the ability to breathe. “Even if I’d planned to let you leave before, there’s no way in hell I’d let you go now, not when you can make food like this.”